Josh Lam, creator of Espin eBikes, from San Francisco, displaying one of the models at the Pepcom Digital Experience Show. Photo by Marcus Siu.
Article and photo by Marcus Siu
As population growth of Metropolitan cities such as the San Francisco Bay Area continue to surge to in record numbers, so are the ever increasing number of commuters, which translates to grid lock congestion on the streets of San Francisco. With the ridership of public transportation service systems, such as the transit system and buses at maximum full capacity, what is the average commuter to do?
One possible solution was provided at the Pepcom Digital Experience show in San Francisco, where Josh Lam, co-founder of Espin bikes, was displaying his eBike line.
For those commuters who do not need to use the freeway, the Espin electric bike may be the perfect alternative solution to get around town. It uses no gas, is parking friendly, and is able to zip through the streets where cars cannot.
These bikes, excuse the pun, are “geared” more towards the commuters in mind.
The Espin pedal assist bike contains a 350 watt motor, which starts the motor going immediately once pedaling. It has a battery capacity of 25 miles per charge (20-40 mile range), which takes about 4-5 hours to charge. Weighing in at about 47 pounds compared to 60-70 for conventional electric bikes, it goes up to a maximum 28 miles per hour, which means it technically doesn’t need a license since it is not classified as a vehicle, like electric scooters are.
There are five levels of power on the motor. Zero means manual power or using your feet to pedal (i.e. The “Fred Flintstone” method) and Five meaning that you will most likely be going up a very steep hill. It can go up San Francisco’s steepest hill, which is about a 32% grade.
The well concealed lithium-ion batteries are made by Panasonic, who also supplies Tesla’s electric vehicles. They charge up to 500 times and last between two and four years. You can buy additional batteries when needed. The balloon tires were targeted for commuters or just people who need to run errands, like shopping for groceries. The “sporty” Espin were targeted for more of the sports enthusiast, who like heads down cycling.
It comes with an odometer and a rack that can hold up to 55 pounds.
For many commuters who ride a traditional bike to work, they are dripping sweat upon arrival. With electric bikes, you don’t have to struggle up and climb up a hill using your pedals. You can cruise in electric mode with no sweat, if you prefer. You also don’t need to shower immediately after arriving to work. That saves time, as well.
According to Lam, the company was named after a famous Norwegian Fairy Tale character after “Espen Askeladden”, who was a favorite of Lam’s wife, Yina’s, as she was growing up during her childhood days in Norway. Espen used creative tactics to conquer battles, always prevailing in the end and typically is able to think outside the box and come up with innovative solutions to problems they encounter, which is why they identified with the name. It is also a play on words as “E-spin” means electric spin.
From what I understand from electric bike owners is that after owning an electric bike for awhile, they find it difficult to going back to the push and grind of the pedals on the traditional bike. It’s all about the enjoyment of the ride now. It becomes even more recreational than ever before but without expending as much energy.
However, for “authentic” bicyclists, who still prefer to pushing the medal to the pedal; its still an option, if they want to ride it that way.
List price: $1888.00
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